Absinthe Fairy

The Absinthe fairy was used on Absinthe label and posters. Artists and writers used to drink the Green Fairy Absinthe in the film Moulin Rouge which was based on the french Bohemian culture of Montmartre in Paris.

Absinthe Fairy Followers

Famous devotees of La Fee Verte, the Green Fairy, were Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Gauguin, Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway who created his own Absinthe cocktail “Death in the Afternoon” – a mix of Absinthe and champagne. Writers and artists said that they gained inspiration due to Absinthe and many pieces of art focus Absinthe or Absinthe drinkers. The Belle Epoque period of history was popular as the hey day for Absinthe.

Absinthe, also famous as Absynthe, is a strong liquor manufatured from herbs and essential oils. The herb wormwood is it’s vital ingredient which is an extract of the plant wormwood or artemisia absinthium. Wormwood is used to give Absinthe it’s characteristic bitter taste and herbs like aniseed, anise and fennel to give it’s anise flavor.

Thujone, a chemical found in wormwood oil, was thought to be psychoactive and to give psychedelic effects, cause hallucinations and eventually insanity. In 1915 the loose morals of the drinkers in Montmartre gave prohibition campaigners ammunition to restrict Absinthe in France. There was restriction in buying or selling of Absinthe. Many other countries also banned it. Spain, where Absinthe was called Absenta, Portugal, the UK and the Czech Republic never restricted the Green Fairy.

Absinthe Fairy and Prohibition

During the prohibition period, distilleries, such as the Pernod Fils distillery, started producing Absinthe substitutes such as Pernod Pastis to market to the people who were missing the anise flavor of Absinthe. One of the Absinthe substitutes was Ricard.

Bootleg absinthe was still distilled and sold in many countries which meant that the distilling of Absinthe has never been lost.

In the 1990s Absinthe was made legal in many countries, although Switzerland, home of Absinthe, had to wait until 2005 for legalization. You can now buy Absinthe and Absinthe essence kits online along with Absinthiana such as glasses, spoons and fountains. Drinking Absinthe out of a special antique or replica glass with a proper spoon give effects to the Absinthe preparation ritual.

Studies showed that the thujone content in Absinthe was safe so it was legalized in many countries. Absinthe contains more alcohol than other spirits but was never designed to drink neat. It solution with iced water gives the clouding effects.

Numerous websites are there from which one can get real wormwood Absinthe and essences to make his own bottled Absinthe.com.